Fuel Rails can't stomach gasohol

[Constant Mesh]

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693284425203789.html

"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that gasoline with 10% ethanol is already doing real harm. In January, Toyota announced that it was recalling 214,570 Lexus vehicles. The reason: The company found that "ethanol fuels with a low moisture content will corrode the internal surface of the fuel rails." (The rails carry fuel to the engine injectors.) Furthermore, there have been numerous media reports that ethanol-blended gasoline is fouling engines in lawn mowers, weed whackers and boats."

"Lawyers in Florida have already sued a group of oil companies for damage allegedly done to boat fuel tanks and engines from ethanol fuel. They are claiming that consumers should be warned about the risk of using the fuel in their boats."

 

[exskibum]

Not a surprise. I recall someone (maybe on a Blackbird forum a few years ago) who was some type of materials engineer doing research on the corrosive impacts of alcohol as a fuel to be used in engines, gas tanks, lines, fittings, fuel pumps, etc. designed to run on 100% petroleum gasoline warning of much the same thing.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

It hasn't been my experience. I first used alchohol blended gasoline in a fuel injected motorcycle in 1982 and have used it almost constantly since -- many hundreds of thousands of miles in many different/varied vehicles. I've never had a problem.

I do agree that there have been issues (historically) with "lawn mowers, weed whackers and boats." Gas with alchohol tends to not want oil to stay mixed (pre-mix) in fuel for 2-strokes when water enters the picture.